A warning about measurement and methodological issues associated with coronavirus tracking and evaluation across jurisdictions.

As people around the world experience a devastating pandemic, it is critical that policy-makers consider the methodological and measurement issues that might be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health indicators. This commentary uses four primary variables to illustrate measurement and methodological issues that can complicate comparisons between jurisdictions. Jurisdiction refers to a variety of geographic areas, such as a country, a state, or a province/territory.

How core competencies are taught during clinical supervision: participatory action research in family medicine.

Objectives: The development of professional competence is the main goal of residency training. Clinical supervision is the most commonly used teaching and learning method for the development of core competencies (CCs). The literature provides little information on how to encourage the learning of CCs through supervision.

Incidence and risk factors of insomnia in a population-based sample.

Introduction: Despite the high prevalence of insomnia, there is little information about its incidence and risk factors. This study estimated the incidence of insomnia and examined potential risk factors in a cohort of good sleepers followed over a one-year period.

Methods: Participants were 464 good sleepers who completed 3 postal evaluations over a one-year period (i.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, singly and combined with medication, for persistent insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and hypnotic medications are efficacious for short-term treatment of insomnia, but few patients achieve complete remission with any single treatment. It is unclear whether combined or maintenance therapies would enhance outcome.

Objectives: To evaluate the added value of medication over CBT alone for acute treatment of insomnia and the effects of maintenance therapies on long-term outcome.

[The impact of a verbal consent form on the participation rate in a telephone survey].

Objective: To assess the impact of a consent form on the participation rate in a telephone survey about gambling and money.

Method: Four different consent forms were tested. The first consent form globally met the academic ethics committee requirements, while the second and third forms excluded some elements.

The natural history of insomnia: a population-based 3-year longitudinal study.

Background: Despite its high prevalence, little information is available about the natural history of insomnia. The extent to which episodes of insomnia will persist or remit over time is difficult to predict. We examined the natural history of insomnia and describe the most common trajectories over 3 years.

Prediction of health professionals' intention to screen for decisional conflict in clinical practice.

Objective: To identify the determinants of the intention of physicians to screen for decisional conflict in clinical practice.

Background: Screening for decisional conflict is one of the key competencies when educating health professionals about shared decision making. Theory-based knowledge about variables predicting their intention to screen for decisional conflict in clinical practice would help design effective implementation interventions in this area.

Benzodiazepine discontinuation among adults with GAD: A randomized trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

This study evaluated the specific effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) combined with medication tapering for benzodiazepine discontinuation among generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) patients by using a nonspecific therapy control group. Sixty-one patients who had used benzodiazepines for more than 12 months were randomly assigned to the experimental conditions. Nearly 75% of patients in the CBT condition completely ceased benzodiazepine intake, as compared with 37% in the control condition.

Potentially inappropriate prescriptions for older patients in long-term care.

Background: Inappropriate medication use is a major healthcare issue for the elderly population. This study explored the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) in long-term care in metropolitan Quebec.

Methods: A cross sectional chart review of 2,633 long-term care older patients of the Quebec City area was performed.

[Benzodiazepine withdrawal in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: efficiency of a behavioral and cognitive intervention].

Benzodiazepine medication is often prescribed for the short-term treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. The chronic nature of generalized anxiety disorder entails a prolonged use of these psychotropic medication on several months and several years, entailing also a psychological and physical addiction. The current study aims at determining if the combination of a behavioral and cognitive therapy and gradual withdrawal facilitate interrupting the use of benzodiazepine in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Discontinuation of benzodiazepines among older insomniac adults treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy combined with gradual tapering: a randomized trial.

Background: Long-term use of hypnotics is not recommended because of risks of dependency and adverse effects on health. The usual clinical management of benzodiazepine dependency is gradual tapering, but when used alone this method is not highly effective in achieving long-term discontinuation. We compared the efficacy of tapering plus cognitive-behavioural therapy for insomnia with tapering alone in reducing the use of hypnotics by older adults with insomnia.